


Is this our happy ending?

by Lady_Kit



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Implied/Referenced non-graphic violence, Monster Oppression, Undertale Monsters on the Surface, humans are dicks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-21
Updated: 2017-10-21
Packaged: 2019-01-21 00:59:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12445912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Kit/pseuds/Lady_Kit
Summary: "What do you want, short-stuff?""heya, edgelord. you busy? i, uh, i could use your help with something."__________________________________In which Edge receives an unexpected phone call, and Papyrus is in need of help.





	Is this our happy ending?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [alicedragons](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alicedragons/gifts).



Edge was in the middle of grading papers when he got the call. He glanced at his cell, brow-bone raised when he saw the caller ID. Glancing at the three delinquents currently scrubbing grease from the stovetops, he picked up the phone with a curt, “What do you want, short-stuff?”

His vision doubled, looking out through Sans’ sockets as the other monster sighed in relief. “heya, edgelord,” he said, trying for calm and casual, but his voice was shaky and Edge could see that he was pacing in the hallway outside his brother’s room. What the—? “you busy? i, uh, i could use your help with something.”

Edge was already on his feet, using his free hand to shove a mix of calculus and home economics papers into a rough stack to be graded later. “I’ll be there in ten minutes,” he said gruffly and hung up without waiting for Sans’ response. He surveyed the three students, all of them doing a very poor job of pretending not to listen to his half of the conversation. “Go home. In lieu of detention, I expect each of you to turn in a ten page paper—double spaced, quit whining—on your favorite food by Friday.” They grumbled a little, but he managed to usher them out the door. As they walked away, he added, “If any of you make any mention of female genitalia or a synonym of it in your report, then I will be _most displeased_. And you do not want that, let me assure you.”

None of them looked happy, but one of them snickered a little—likely because he’d been planning on doing just that—and Edge resisted the urge to roll his eyelights. It was unprofessional behavior. Even if the little twerp did remind him uncannily of Red at that age.

He slung his messenger bag’s strap over his shoulder and shoved his arms through his leather jacket, walking briskly out to the teacher’s parking lot. It took almost Herculean effort not to simply go speeding out of the lot, but he really didn’t want a lecture from the ~~former queen~~ principal. It was most uncomfortable being on the other side of the ‘I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed’ lecture, and that wasn’t an experience he was eager to repeat.

Once he was off school grounds, he wasn’t nearly so restrained, driven by the memory of Sans’ shaky voice and his obvious worry. Because Edge knew there were very few things that could get Sans that worked up, and ‘nothing’ certainly wasn’t one of them. Pulling up into the Tale-verse brothers’ driveway, he parked his motorcycle and dashed inside, not bothering to knock. Sans, being a reasonably intelligent skeleton, had left the door unlocked for him.

Sans froze at the end of the hallway, sockets wide and eyelights bright with worry. Edge swept forward, senses on alert. “What happened?” he demanded, glancing around to make sure the house itself was in order.

“it’s paps,” Sans said, jerking a thumb back toward the hallway behind him. “they, uh, they sent him home early.” This close, Edge could see that Sans was actually shaking a little. “he won’t tell me what happened. won’t even open the door,” he said.

Edge didn’t ask why Sans didn’t just teleport inside. The Tale-verse brothers were very particular about maintaining privacy and personal space. “Have you talked to Blue?” he asked.

Sans nodded slowly. “he’s the one that called me. he, uh, he says things are crazy down at the precinct. he didn’t have details yet, but papyrus was involved in some kind of-of incident. and…and so was a human.”

The two of them regarded each other, both of them thinking the same thing. “…LV?” Edge asked.

Sans shuddered, hugging himself. “i didn’t get the chance to check him. he was already barricaded in his room by the time i got here.”

Nodding to himself, Edge slipped past Sans. He’d been wondering why Sans had called him, but now it made sense. If Papyrus really had been forced to shoot someone, then who could better understand what the sweet-natured skeleton was going through? “Go sit down,” he said, “Call Red or Stretch or _someone_ so you’re not just sitting out here alone. I’ll take care of Papyrus.”

“i’m fine; i just—“

Edge turned and stared him down. “Do you want me to make the call?” he challenged. Sans looked like he was gearing up to argue, but then he shuddered, shoulders drooping as he dug out his phone. Edge waited until he’d started talking to someone—he thought it might by Toriel, actually—then he started down the hallway. At Papyrus’ door, he knocked briskly.

“I’M REALLY NOT IN THE MOOD FOR A KNOCK-KNOCK JOKE, SANS,” Papyrus said from the other side. His voice was unsteady, but still strong.

“I am the very last person likely to make such a joke, let me assure you,” Edge said, leaning against the doorjamb.

There was a long moment of silence. Edge glanced down the hall, seeing that Sans had sunk down to the floor so he was leaning against the back of the couch with the phone cradled against the side of his head. Good. “Edge?” Papyrus asked, voice softer than usual.

“Are you going to let me in? Or do I need to break the door down?”

“Edgy-me, I really don’t approve of—“

“Three. Two. O—“

A heavy sigh, then the door clicked open. Edge stepped inside and surveyed Papyrus, taking note of the orange magic crusted around his sockets. He’d already changed into more casual clothes, and he’d hung his uniform neatly in the closet. A good sign, actually. Seeing Papyrus folded in on himself—arms wrapped across his ribcage as if he was trying to hold himself together—wasn’t a good sign, though.

Despite himself, Edge opened his arms out to either side in invitation, and after a moment of hesitation, Papyrus surged forward, allowing himself to be held. Edge didn’t ask what happened. Later. Later he would ask for details. For now, he just supported the other skeleton as he struggled not to cry.

Eventually, Papyrus said, quietly, “Edgy-me…why do they do such terrible things to each other?”

“Who?” Edge asked, “The humans?” Papyrus nodded, and Edge ran a soothing hand up and down his duplicate’s spine. “It’s just how things are,” he finally said. His own Underground hadn’t exactly been a nice place, and they’d long since learned that the Fell monsters were actually better suited for life on the surface than the Tale monsters. Fell monsters understood why it was important to lock your door at night. Fell monsters knew not to walk down seemingly deserted alleys at night. And Fell monsters expected hostility and hatred. Oppression wasn’t a new phenomenon for them.

The Tale-verse monsters simply hadn’t been prepared for the hatred found in human hearts. More than a few had fallen down in the first few months, realizing that their dream of reaching the surface was not the happy ending they’d all been expecting. Papyrus, of course, had pressed on, displaying an admirable degree of positivity. He’d even managed to defy the odds—breaking through glass barriers that human law insisted didn’t exist—to become the first monster to be accepted to the Ebott police academy, and then to the local precinct. All of them had soon realized that it was a publicity stunt, a way of proving that there was no prejudice in the local government…even as that government continued to debate the merits of enacting a curfew for monsters or a monster registration act. Even as monsters were continually denied the right to vote, though they had at least managed to gain a kind of subsidiary citizenship.

“He…” Papyrus said softly, “He was hurting them. I-I told him to stop…but he didn’t. He-He wouldn’t put down his weapon. He wouldn’t _stop_. I _had_ to, Edgy-me. _I had to_.”

Edge exhaled quietly and tightened his grip. “I know,” he said quietly, “I know.”

Papyrus shuddered. “They sent me home,” he said, “I’m-I’m on leave, p-pending their investigation.” Edge just nodded, letting him talk. Very, very quietly, Papyrus said, “they’re going to fire me.”

“Why would they fire you for doing your job?” Edge asked coolly, “You were keeping the peace. It’s what they hired you for.”

Papyrus flinched and confessed, “i…i used magic on him.” Edge’s sockets went wide. This. This could be bad. He pulled back a little, searching Papyrus’ features. He looked afraid and even a little ashamed…but there was a hint of steel in his spine, and his chin was lifted just slightly in challenge. “I turned his soul blue…and I held him down. I had to stop him, Edgy-me, but I didn’t want…I didn’t want to shoot him. I stopped him, but I didn’t-I didn’t _hurt_ him.”

Edge ducked his head, a breath of air escaping him in what could have been either a silent laugh or a sigh or a sob. “You—?” He honestly wasn’t sure if he was more impressed, relieved, or horrified. Papyrus hadn’t hurt anyone. He’d done his job without resorting to violence, but they both knew how the humans would react. A monster using combat magic on a human? No matter if it was in self-defense. No matter if it was done to protect someone else. This could only reignite tensions between their races.

For now, though, that didn’t matter. Edge pulled Papyrus back into his embrace. For now, he’d simply be glad Papyrus’ hands were still clean. “We’ll take care of it,” Edge said, “We’ll call Blue, see if he has any suggestions.” Blue had only just finished law school, and he’d barely managed to secure a place in the public defender’s office. He was smart, though, and he’d learned the laws inside and out. He’d never said as much, but Edge strongly suspected that he’d done so because he wanted to fight for monster rights in the legal arena…unlike his Fell counterpart. He’d probably been preparing for something like this since he’d started law school. “Everything will be fine.”

“Thank you, Edgy-me,” Papyrus said, leaning heavily against him. Edge just nodded and squeezed him tightly, determined to keep his word.

“We’ll take care of it,” he reiterated, “I promise.”

**Author's Note:**

> Based, loosely, on [a conversation I had with alicedragons](https://itsladykit.tumblr.com/post/166526686399/here-have-a-thing) and [this post](https://itsladykit.tumblr.com/post/166188739714/here-have-a-headcanon).
> 
> ...I have so many other things I should have been working on, IRL and otherwise. If anyone wants to adopt this, feel free 'cause I don't think I'll be continuing this one.


End file.
